McBookie Super League Premier Division

BEITH 3

TROON 1

TEN-man Troon fell to a fifth successive defeat. leaving them with a fight against relegation on their hands.

This was the perfect example of a Junior match at Bellsdale, and the first half at least was a fantastic contest to watch.

Despite four league defeats in a row coming into the game, Troon were easily the better team in the first 20 minutes and it was no surprise when they took the lead in eight minutes. Colin Spence fed Ryan Nisbet on the right and he swung in a wicked cross which Beith defender Paul McMenamin turned past his own keeper on the line, under heavy pressure from Ross Robertson and Adam Forsyth.

The visitors could have gone two-up not long after when the ever dangerous Nisbet again nearly caught Stephen Grindlay out with a quick low shot which skidded off the turf and the keeper only just managed to turn it past the post.

Scottish Cup holders Beith came into the match and forced a corner which Ally Semple did well to come and claim, and Sheridan was unlucky to see a header from another corner tipped over the crossbar.

Troon forced up the other end and Robertson caused chaos when he forced his way past Mark McLaughlin to chase a short pass back to Grindlay and with everyone expecting the referee's whistle, he robbed the ball and cut back only for a home defender to get back just in time to block Nisbet's goalbound effort.

Controversy flared after the half hour when the two number eights Spence and Paul Frize clashed off the ball, and the visiting support were screaming for a red card when Frize raised his hands only to be surprised to see a yellow card issued to both players.

Just as Troon had started the half well, Beith finished it the stronger and after some heavy pressure in the closing minutes of the half, it was no surprise when they levelled the score. Frize beat Ross Barbour to the ball out wide and when he crossed the ball in, Calum Watt stole in ahead of the defence to poke home at the near post.

The second half couldn't have started worse for the Seasiders. Straight from the kick-off, Beith passed the ball between the lines quickly and made it straight for the away goal almost unopposed for Watt to fire home and leave the away support shell-shocked. Worse was to come a minute later, when the frustration had obviously got to Spence who received a second booking for a late challenge.

Troon fans would argue about the first yellow, but there were no arguments about the second and at 2-1 down and down to 10 men the game had turned on its head and looked impossible.

Beith strengthened immediately from the bench and took a grip on the game as Troon got increasingly frustrated and began to lose their discipline. The pace and energy had dropped out of the game, but Kenny McLean brought some back on his introduction and, despite Troon rallying a little after their double substitution, Beith wrapped the game up when McLean fired past Semple for 3-1.

Frustrating the way the game panned out, but after four poor performances before this there was more fight and spirit about the side in the opening 45 minutes than in the previous 360.

Saturday's clash with Cumnock at Portland Park becomes the typical six-pointer.

BEITH: Grindlay; McGlinchey, McMenamin, McLaughlin (MacDonald 54); Sheridan, Wilson, Watt, Frize, McPherson (McLean 71); Christie, Burke (Bradley 81).

TROON: Semple; Armstrong, Keenan, McKnight, Collins, Chatham, Barbour (McCrea 78); Spence, Forsyth, Robertson (Muir 59); Nisbet (Moore 59). Subs not used: Brown, Fraser.